Depressor anguli oris ​

Depressor anguli oris Definition

What is Depressor anguli oris? It is a muscle that presses down the areas at the corner of the mouth. It belongs to the second arch or the facial muscle of the Branchial arch muscle group. Its name comes from the Latin terms “de” standing for “down”, “premere” indicating “to press”, “Angulus” that stands for “A bend/corner” and “Oris” meaning “An opening or mouth”.

It is referred to as Musculus depressor anguli oris in Latin and as Muscle abaisseur de l'angle de la bouche in French.

Depressor anguli oris Origin and Insertion

The Depressor anguli oris muscle originates at the mandible’s oblique line and mental tubercle. It has its point of insertion in Modiolus, present at the angle of the mouth.

Depressor anguli oris Function

Once the muscle contracts, it laterally and inferiorly pulls the angle of the mouth. The muscle is related to frowning, as it is responsible for pulling the lip edges down. It is a paired muscle set, and one muscle can be found on either side of the mouth.

Depressor anguli oris Innervation

The muscle is supplied by Cranial nerve VII, the Facial nerve. The facial artery’s inferior labial branch supplies blood to this structure.

Depressor anguli oris Problems

At times, this muscle does not develop while in utero. Thus, a baby is born minus this structure. When the baby stays quiet, the absence is not apparent. However, a facial asymmetry shows up when he/she cries. Where the muscle stays normal, the corner at the side of the mouth is pulled down. The side, where the muscle is absent, does not pull down. Generally, the condition does not need operative correction. However, the asymmetry is not apparent when the baby grows older.

Depressor anguli oris Botox Treatment

The Depressor anguli oris is responsible for the jowls of the face, which can look like a constant frown. Injecting a small anount of Botox to this muscle can help fix the frown-like appearance.

Even recently, operation was the sole option for proper correction of a downturned mouth. However, this left a lip incision and often leads to a scar formation directly on the lip line. Thus, surgery may correct the frowning problem, but do nothing to maintain a natural, proper facial appearance.

However, injecting Botox treats the Depressor anguli oris muscles and cured the downward pull on the mouth corners. This lets the muscles that lift up the mouth corners to take up the control. It relaxes the muscles and offers a pleasant and younger position to the mouth corners. Depressor anguli oris Botox treatment can be combined with various other measures, such as fat transfer or dermal fillers, to get the desired appearance. Anyway, the final consequences are always amazing. The mouth corners come back to a usual shape, and the downward pull and scowl go away. Thus, the face gets a better look.

This type of treatment can be advantageous for women as well as men of any age. However, some amount of risk is involved – as is common with any cosmetic process, and only a skilled and experienced medical professional should handle the treatment.

Depressor anguli oris Pictures

These Depressor anguli oris images and diagrams will give you an idea about the visual appearance of the muscle, and its exact location in the human body.